Two County Highways to have Work Done over Next Two Weeks

A couple county roads will be undergoing repairs and you may want to adjust your drive accordingly.

The LaSalle County Highway Department says, starting Tuesday, they’ll be working on the roads for about 2 weeks. They’ll be working on Jack Dougherty Road from the Deer Park Blacktop to Red White and Blue Bridge Road, and also on Mendota-Triumph Road from the Troy Grove Blacktop to Triumph.

If you drive through the area you may notice some loose rocks, the County Highway Department says they’ll be smoothed out during the construction.

Man Accused of Firing Gun During Peru Scuffle Pleads “Not Guilty” to Felonies

The man accused of firing a gun during the bedlam near 28^th Street Park in Peru appeared in court with his entourage on Friday.

Nineteen-year old Mitchell Hampton pled not guilty to the three felony charges against him. He then gestured toward a crowd of more than 10 people who turned up to see him in court. He’s charged with Aggravated and Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, as well as Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

The charges stem from the fight that took place at the Peru Park after a dispute about a basketball game allegedly turned physical on June 15^th. The other person arrested after the pandemonium is accused of having brass knuckles on him at the time of the fight.

Hampton remains in the county jail, needing $100,000 to get out. His trial is set to begin September 26^th.

Law enforcement ramping up patrols for holiday weekend

However you choose to celebrate America’s birthday, make sure to do it responsibly.

City, county and state police are all ramping up patrols for the busy holiday travel weekend. Peru Deputy Chief Bob Pyszka says “the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign means zero tolerance and no excuses for drunk driving.” Pyszka says Peru officers will also be looking particularly at night for anyone not using seat belts.

Looking at past numbers, 18 to 34-year-old drivers and motorcyclists have been involved in the highest percentage of July Fourth fatal crashes that involve drunk driving.

Minonk fireworks rated as one of the state’s best

Are you having a tough time picking what fireworks display to watch this year? A lifestyle website has rated the best fireworks shows in Illinois.

Minonk is the only display in the Illinois Valley showing up on the list coming in at number 6. Navy Pier in Chicago has the best display according to “OnlyInYourState.com”

You can see the fireworks rankings by clicking State Fireworks Rankings.

Plenty of options to see fireworks this weekend

There’s no shortage of opportunities to see fireworks this holiday weekend in the Illinois Valley.

Utica and Amboy will get a jump start on everyone with fireworks displays Saturday night. Peru, Spring Valley, Sheridan and Walnut will shoot off their fireworks on Sunday. Waiting until Independence Day for fireworks is: Mendota; Princeton; Hennepin; Ottawa; Leland and Minonk. The La Salle Speedway is also having July 4th fireworks.

Cities like Oglesby and Streator will have fireworks next weekend.

Everyone okay after house fire breaks out in Streator

Nobody was hurt in a living-room fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon on the east side of Streator.

Firefighters were called to 1507 Union Street. They found a single-family house with smoke coming out of the side. The fire was mainly in the home’s living room. Firefighters knocked the blaze down in about five minutes.

The people living at the house were gone at the time of the fire. They did have a dog outside the house which firefighters moved to safety.

Senator Rezin calls stopgap budget a “huge win” for schools

Schools will be funded for all of next year, and government services will have funding for the next six months. All it took was for lawmakers to come within hours of the government starting another fiscal year without a budget.

The General Assembly passed a set of bills that will provide funding for road projects, 9-1-1 centers, and other services. In addition, schools will be funded for the entire ’16-’17 school year.

State Senator Sue Rezin said you didn’t have to look further than the Illinois Valley to find examples of how funding cuts have impacted schools in a major way. She called it a “huge win” that many schools would get more money than they have in years. Rezin said the bills that passed yesterday are more sensible than any spending plan she’s seen.

The senator went on to say it’s a responsible solution, even if it isn’t a perfect one. She says she remains optimistic lawmakers can build on this compromise to pass a full-year budget.

La Salle politician relieved but disappointed about time it took for a budget agreement

While he voted for the stopgap budget, Democratic State Representative Andy Skoog isn’t happy with how long the process took.

Skoog says it’s “absolutely outrageous that the state took this long to reach a partial budget agreement.” Skoog says while he is relieved that schools and social services will get funding, there’s still plenty of work to do.

The Democrat says “in no way, shape or form is this stopgap budget a bailout for the Chicago Public Schools.”